The Green caldron - University Library

2
THE
A Look at Discrimination
William Presnell
Rhetoric 102, Theme 4
The Green Caldron
WORD DISCRIMINATION HAS FALLEN INTO DISRE-
pute. As one examines this word in the light of some of its modern
uses, he may be able to discover that he has a number of erroneous
ideas concerning it.
I am a discriminating person. I pride myself on how well I am able
to distinguish between a good steak and a bad one ; if I had not this
knowledge, I would no doubt be eating tough, poor grade meat at least
fifty per cent of the time. By the same token a great many of our decisions,
both important and trivial, require the ability to discern whatever difference
there may be in our possible choices. If we are to be responsible, independent
persons, then we must discriminate.
Discrimination may be carried a step further. When one has differentiated
between two things, it is possible for him to show preferential treatment to
one or the other of them. That he do this very thing, both in his personal
life and in society, is to the mutual benefit of all. Notice, if you will, the
attitude of our own country towards young men. If our society deems a
young man bad, beyond help, or criminal, he is thrown into prison, or some
such fitting punishment is imposed. However, should he be highly intel-
ligent or an able athlete or possess other desirable characteristics, he is
shown preferential treatment in the form of scholarships, money, and
prestige. Far from being bad, this form of discrimination offers incentive
to those who would be ambitious.
Now let us apply this term, discrimination, to a basic social issue of
today, the race problem. Often as not, the word discrimination is used
when prejudice is the word meant. The two terms are quite different, however.
Prejudice means, literally, pre-judge. One generally assumes, upon
hearing that the Southerners are being "discriminative" in the South, that
it is the Negro who is being mistreated. This is a dangerous assumption!
It becomes very obvious that we have assigned meanings to an "innocent"
word which are far from valid. We've heard "discrimination" used so
often in connection with the suppression of Negro by white that we have
unthinkingly come to use the two expressions synonymously. Because we
have allowed ourselves this carelessness, we are easy prey for the rabble-
rouser and the name-caller, whose object is not to introduce wisdom and
clear thinking into the vexatious problems that beset us, but rather to sway
our opinion, by words highly charged with emotions in support of his
selfish cause. Let us cease to be partners in such folly. Let us allow our
"discrimination" to mean "illumination" of the great issues which face us.